


Revelation of a Beauty Hidden

by Talinor



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Divergence, M/M, Quarter-Altean Keith (Voltron), otherwise canon compliant, slight season 5 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 09:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14102067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talinor/pseuds/Talinor
Summary: "Yes," Keith responded, his tone... different. It was almost dreamy, like this was all just a dizzying haze to him. Lotor watched him slowly raise his hand and bring it to rest against the thick glass. Keith smiled with a soft, satisfied smile."Beautiful."With that one simple word, the light seemed to grow a little bit brighter blue.And just like that, the trance was broken. Focus returned to Keith's confusedly blinking eyes. The first sight he saw was Lotor and Coran staring at him in wide-eyed surprise.Keith raised a brow at the both of them. "Why are you looking at me like that?"





	Revelation of a Beauty Hidden

**Author's Note:**

> this idea literally would not leave my head until I wrote it down  
> i'm tempted to write a second part about Keith's view of Oriande and the fact that he's part altean tb h  
> enjoy!

This was it.

All that he had ever worked for lay just beyond the Castle of Lions. The white hole that supposedly- no, _definitely-_ hid Oriande within it was so close. Yet still frustratingly far away. He was stuck here on the Castle- with only two others, the ever-talkative Coran and the ever-silent Keith- while the Paladins of Voltron ventured to find what he'd strove for his entire _life._

Lotor wasn't bitter about that fact. Not in the slightest.

He shouldn't complain, really. They'd allowed him to stay. They'd gotten him this far. Perhaps they would allow him to actually venture into Oriande once it was deemed safe enough to do so. It pulled at him endlessly even now, and he refused to let it go like this.

"They've been gone for a while now," Coran said, voice tinged with worry he was likely trying to hide. "Do you think they're alright?"

"I'm sure they're fine," Lotor lied. "They should be back any moment now." In truth, he was wondering the same thing. Were they able to get into the white hole? Did the Guardian deem them worthy, despite mostly not being Altean? Or were they drifting somewhere along the vast graveyard of dead ships, desperately trying to reach them on comms as they ran out of oxygen?

No. It was better to hold out hope for as long as possible, even if it was for naught.

Quiet, contemplative steps to his side caught his attention. Lotor directed his attention towards the welcome distraction to find Keith standing next to him at the front window. Judging from the expression on his face, Keith was absolutely _entranced_ by the sight before them. His eyes were glassy, focused only on the bright heavenly light that shone like a beacon in the darkness of space. His lips were apart only slightly in pure unabashed awe.

Lotor couldn't help but smile at the sight. He remembered having a similar reaction the first time he saw a picture of this place in an age-old book. He could only _imagine_ how _magnificent_ it must be to have the first sight of it be in person. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked. In truth, mainly to hear what Keith would have to say in response. The former Paladin was... interesting, to say the least. He was curious to see what had the normally neutral Blade in such a state.

"Yes," Keith responded, his tone... different. It was almost dreamy, like this was all just a dizzying haze to him. Lotor watched him slowly raise his hand and bring it to rest against the thick glass. Keith smiled with a soft, satisfied smile. _"Beautiful."_ With that one simple word, the light seemed to grow a little bit brighter blue.

And just like that, the trance was broken. Focus returned to Keith's confusedly blinking eyes. The first sight he saw was Lotor and Coran staring at him in wide-eyed surprise. 

Keith raised a brow at the both of them. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Though, unbeknownst to him, they had great reason to.

Where nothing had been just moments before, the pale skin of Keith's face was now decorated. Small, barely glowing light blue markings curved below his eyes. Thicker, curved markings glowed a darker lilac, but still glowed all the same. The glow was faint, but still _there._ That meant only one thing.

"You have been chosen," Lotor thought aloud in quiet bewilderment.

Keith's confusion only intensified at that. "I've been- what?" He asked. "What does that even _mean?"_

"The Guardian chooses those worthy of entering Oriande," Lotor explained. "Altean-blooded people are given the Mark of the Chosen if they're deemed worthy." He smiled softly down at Keith as he watched him stare bewildered at himself in the window's reflection. "You are quite lucky, Keith."

"So are you," Keith told him. Lotor checked his own reflection to confirm that he too had the Mark. "But yours are brighter than mine." His expression shifted to concern. "Does that mean I'm... somehow less worthy?"

Lotor chuckled at that. "Of course not," he assured Keith with a hand to the shoulder. "That only means you have less Altean blood in you than I do. Perhaps only a quarter, or even less. It does not matter. The only question of worth is whether or not they appear for you or not." He shot Keith a reassuring smile. "And- if this is not out of line for me to say- they may be dim, but they are still..."

For a moment, he searched for the right word to say. Something that would describe the one beside him best. As he noted how the bright light perfectly illuminated his face, he remembered the last word Keith had said before the markings appeared.

"...Beautiful."

It fit Keith perfectly.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always appreciated! I love getting feedback from you guys!!  
> my tumblr: squishy--squish


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